Pretend like I don't have a bachelor's degree in electronics. Theater, actually.
I successfully built the Make pir sensor alarm (PIR Sensor Arduino Alarm | Make:). The hope was that every time my mischievous doodles poked their heads above the horizon of the table top, the alarm would sound. However, the little piezo chirps didn't impress the dogs at all. What I need is MORE POWER!
Seeing how the above siren needs 6-14 volts, when attached to the above Make: project it sounds like an anemic giger counter. So, I thought, "Hey, build a little amplifier circuit and that should do it." Yes, that is something that a person with a theater degree might imagine.... amplify. I don't have the knowledge to build or design a circuit like that, and searches and several days of study has led me to a greater understanding of transistors but no where closer to my goal.
Then I thought, how about using the arduino to trigger a relay that would act as a switch to apply straight 9v to the buzzer. This too, seems beyond my skill.
So I am asking ... nay, begging ... for some kind soul to direct me to a project or design that would be easy for a noob to build but still give me the satisfaction of being just a little more clever than my dogs.
tinkerblake:
"Hey, build a little amplifier circuit and that should do it."
That is exactly my thought - make or buy an amplifier. If you aren't knowledgeable in electronics (and don't fancy using this as a learning experience) then buying would be the simpler option.
This one charges up the wire once a second, enough charge to discourage without hurting.
After being zapped a couple of times, turn off & leave in place a couple days, then can remove after that.
So I am asking ... nay, begging ... for some kind soul to direct me to a project or design that would be easy for a noob to build but still give me the satisfaction of being just a little more clever than my dogs.
Shooting the dog is highly recommended, but I have a colleague with a dog and I have found that muttering casually about how cheap the livestock freight rate are on Air Koryo suffices.
Hmmm... I remember seeing a nice little beginner amp circuit in "DIY Circuit building for Dummies" a while back...it used the LM741 op-amp and provided decent sound quality off of 12 volts...I'll try to dig up a copy of the schematics...
On another note, I use an air duster bottle on top of my beloved antique piano to keep the cats off...after they realized that it wasn't so fun being sprayed in the face with air, they started to avoid any place with the bottle (I also have a couple laying around in the workshop for that reason). Don't quite know if it would work for dogs, but its worth a shot.
tinkerblake:
So, I thought, "Hey, build a little amplifier circuit and that should do it." Yes, that is something that a person with a theater degree might imagine.... amplify.
There are only two ways sound will keep the dogs off the table... when it comes out of your mouth and when it is loud enough to damage their hearing.
Puff of air. Squirt of water. Be careful with both. If the puff of air is too strong you run the risk of injuring an eardrum. If the squirt of water is too strong you run the risk of ear or eye damage. Bear in mind they will learn to avoid it.
If you want to be entertained, add a radio link and a second Arduino. The first Arduino detects the dogs then sends a radio message to the second Arduino. The second Arduino is located in another room and has control of something the dogs cannot resist. In my case, a squeaky ball or the doorbell does the trick. Dog peeks over the table. Strange noise comes from the other room. Dog runs to investigate. As an added bonus, it will burn off some energy.
I once recorded myself calling my dog with 15 sec silence in advance. She... was completely flabbergasted when I hit the play-button and used the silence to get to the other side of the room first. Maybe you could do something with a wav/mp3 shield + amplifier as well.
Crush some peppercons into a bucket of warm water, let diffuse overnight. Rinse table cloth in water, dry inside & place on table. Do this for as long as it takes for them to get the message.
Arduino's can't differentiate dogs from children or cats!
Thanks for all the dog training advice and the shopping links. Was looking for something a little more Arduino/electronics related, but it was still fun!